Apple Introduces 1.8 GHz Dual Processor G5

Apple has introduced a new model of the Power Mac G5, its 64-bit minitower computer aimed at professional and high-end Macintosh users. The new model offers dual 1.8 GHz processors (each with a 900 MHz frontside bus) with prices starting at $2,500. The new systems slip into the middle of Apple’s G5 lineup, replacing a $2,400 configuration with a single 1.8 GHz processor; otherwise, the specifications for the Power Mac G5s remain unchanged, save that they all now ship with Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. (For details on the changes in the Power Mac G5 architecture compared to previous systems, see "Apple Announces 64-Bit Power Mac G5s" in TidBITS 685; TidBITS has also published several Panther articles covering specific features and applications.) However, Apple has reduced the starting price of the 1.6 GHz single processor system by $200 to $1,800. The new dual-processor model serves to highlight benefits of Mac OS X’s multiprocessor capabilities, particularly in computationally-intensive areas like video and media production.